Yale Achieves Second-Best Final National Ranking in 33 Years

Final ITA Rankings Put Yale at No. 57 in the Country, No. 4 in the Northeast

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – That the 2012-13 season was one of the best in the history of the Yale men's tennis team was confirmed Wednesday when the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its final national and regional rankings. Yale's finish at No. 57 in the country is the team's second-best final ranking in the 33 seasons of rankings available on the ITA website. The Elis also secured the No. 4 spot in the Northeast region, while three of Yale's outgoing seniors received individual recognition in the regional rankings.

The Bulldogs began the year unranked, but put together an impressive 18-6 record to work their way up the national rankings throughout the season. The Elis peaked at No. 48 in early March and consistently maintained a ranking within the top 60 for the remainder of the season before finishing at No. 57 in the country. The only Yale squad since 1981 to achieve a higher finish than No. 57 is the 2000-01 squad, which finished just one place higher, at No. 56. ITA rankings data is only available from 1981 onward.

Yale's exceptional efforts as a team this season were also rewarded in the final ITA Northeast Region Rankings. Consistent with the team's finish at No. 4 in the Ivy League standings, Yale secured the No. 4 spot in the Northeast Region, ahead of four other Ancient Eight rivals.

The final Northeast rankings reflected individual excellence as well. All-Ivy honorees Daniel Hoffman, John Huang and Marc Powers all received rankings in singles, making Yale one of three teams, along with Columbia and Harvard, with at least three players ranked within the top 20 in the Northeast. This recognition caps a long list of career achievements for this dynamic trio of outgoing seniors.

In May, Huang, who finished his final season at No. 3 in the region, became the 15th player in Ivy League history to receive first team All-Ivy League honors in singles three times in his collegiate career and just the third player in Yale history to do so. Huang had a stellar season against regional opponents, highlighted by his 6-1 Ivy record. His signature win this season came against the player who finished at No. 2 in the Northeast, Winston Lin of Columbia.

Powers, meanwhile, sealed the No. 9 spot in the final Northeast rankings. The talented senior posted a 16-6 record in the spring and was named to the second team All-Ivy in singles. Along with Huang, he received the Stuart D. Ludlum, Jr. '62 Memorial Award for his relentless enthusiasm, perseverance and team spirit.

Hoffman, whose leadership as 2012-13 captain was a vital part of the Elis' fruitful season, finished at No. 14 in the region. His resilient efforts at No. 3 singles earned him a 16-6 record in the spring and second team All-Ivy honors. He received the James A. Hutchinson '96 Award for his innumerable contributions to the team during his time as a Bulldog.

Yale was also one of four squads to have two of its doubles teams achieve a final regional top 10 ranking. The Elis' No. 1 doubles team of Hoffman and Powers finished at No. 5. Both members of this formidable duo received second team All-Ivy honors in doubles. In addition, Powers ended his Yale career leading the team in doubles wins, with 89. Hoffman is just behind, with 88 career doubles wins, making his partnership with Powers one of the best in Yale history.

Coming in at No. 9 in doubles in the Northeast was Yale's No. 2 tandem of Huang and junior Patrick Chase. This duo finished the season with an 8-6 win-loss mark in the spring, and could always be counted upon to deliver a strong performance for the Elis. Their inclusion in the final Northeast rankings is a testament to the depth of the 2012-13 Yale squad.